Alert archive / New Mexico / Flash Flood Warnings in 1987

Flash Flood Warning 1, NWS Albuquerque, NM

July 28, 1987Grant County, Sierra County, New Mexico

NWS Albuquerque, NM issued this flash flood warning at Jul 28, 1987, 10:33 PM MDT for Grant County, Sierra County, New Mexico. It was in force for 87 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jul 28, 1987, 10:33 PM MDT (04:33 UTC)
Expired
Jul 29, 1987, 12:00 AM MDT
In force
87 min
Issued by
NWS Albuquerque, NM
Area
Whole counties

Counties Grant County, NM, Sierra County, NM

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Santa Teresa, NM (KEPZ), launched 00:00Z, 4.6 hours before the alert went out and 156 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Santa Teresa, NM at 00:00Z on 1987-07-29Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Santa Teresa, NM at 00:00Z on 1987-07-29The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 32 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
3626 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
6 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
32 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
22 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KABQ 290432
FFWABQ
NMC017-051-290600-

BULLETIN...EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  ALBUQUERQUE NM
1033 PM MDT TUE JUL 28 1987

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD
WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL MIDNIGHT MDT FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN
NEW MEXICO...EASTERN GRANT AND WESTERN SIERRA

A CLUSTER OF HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS WAS MOVING SLOWLY NORTHWARD INTO THE
EASTERN PORTION OF GRANT COUNTY AND THE WESTERN PORTION OF SIERRA
COUNTY AT 1030 PM MDT THIS EVENING. THE SHERIFFS OFFICE IN DEMING
ESTIMATES THAT AROUND AN INCH AND A HALF OF RAIN FELL IN DEMING IN
LESS THAN AN HOUR AS THE STORMS MOVED THROUGH THAT AREA...CAUSING
CONSIDERABLE STREET FLOODING AND SOME ROAD CLOSINGS.

HEAVY RAINS MAY DEVELOP IN EASTERN GRANT AND WESTERN SIERRA COUNTIES
DURING THE NEXT HOUR CAUSING LOCALLY FLOODING OF ROADS...SMALL STREAMS
AND NORMALLY DRY ARROYOS.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR HAS ACTUALLY
BEEN REPORTED..SO TAKE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS IMMEDIATELY. REMEMBER..
MANY FLASH FLOOD DEATHS RESULT FROM MOTORISTS DRIVING INTO WATER-COVERED
CROSSINGS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH.

MJF

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 28, 5:35 PM MDT, 4 hours 58 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  ALBUQUERQUE NM
535PM MDT TUE JUL 28 1987

...VERY HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TOWARD THE ALBUQUERQUE METRO AREA...

DURING THE LAST HOUR A HEAVY RAIN SHOWER MOVED THROUGH THE FOUR HILLS
SECTION OF ALBUQUERQUE DUMPING NEARLY HALF AN INCH OF RAIN IN A 15
MINUTE PERIOD. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING ALONG THE
WEST SLOPES OF THE MANZANO MOUNTAINS AND THESE STORMS ARE MOVING
NORTHWARD TOWARD THE EASTERN SECTIONS OF ALBUQUERQUE. THEY MAY PRODUCE
STRONG GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN AS THEY MOVE NORTHWARD
AT AROUND 15 MILES AN HOUR.

LOCAL FLOODING OF STREETS...INTERSECTIONS AND NORMALLY DRY ARROYOS
IS LIKELY DURING THE NEXT HUOUR. PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH
LOW WATER CROSSINGS AS THE WATER CAN RISE QUITE SUDDENLY...EVEN IF
IT IS NOT RAINING AT YOUR LOCATION.

MJF
Special weather statement, Jul 28, 6:40 PM MDT, 3 hours 53 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE  ALBUQUERQUE NM
640PM MDT TUE JUL 28 1987

...HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE MOVING TOWARD ALBUQUERQUE...

HEVY THUNDERSTORMS WITH BRIEF HEAVY RAIN...STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND
FREQUENT LIGHTNING HAVE BEEN MOVING NORTHWARD THROUGH THE ALBUQUERQUE
METRO AREA SINCE AROUND 500 PM. RADAR AND SATELLITE PICTURES INDICATE
ADDITIONAL STORMS SOUTH OF THE CITY MOVING NORTHWARD AT AROUND 10 MILES
AN HOUR. THESE STORMS MAY ALSO PRODUCE STRONG GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL
AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THE CITY.

LOCAL FLOODING OF STREETS...INTERSECTIONS AND NORMALLY DRY ARROYOS
MAY CONTINUE THIS EVENING. PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH LOW
WATER CROSSINGS OF NORMALLY DRY ARROYOS AS THE WATER CAN RISE QUITE
SUDDENLY...EVEN IF IT IS NOT RAINING AT YOUR LOCATION. ADDITIONAL
STATEMENTS WILL BE ISSUED IF CONDITIONS WARRANT.

MJF

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in New Mexico, 1987Every flash flood warning in 1987

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.